Summary

Time for some down time... Or is it...

A/N: Ugh! Finally got myself out of the self-loathing gutter of despair and writer's block. Evil evil place. Don't ever go there. You may not come back out the same. I'm sure not. Anyways, let's see if I can get back into the swing of this story. Sorry if this is a little rocky. Also, holy crap, I'm not dead! But, seriously?! It's been waaay too long since I updated this. Far past due, so enjoy!

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It was official. He hated being put on bedrest. Byakuya shifted his feet in his bed again and supressed the urge to snarl at the servant puttering around the room. Because of the extent of his injuries, Unohana had given him medical leave from the Court Guard for a few weeks. It was driving him crazy to not be allowed to do any kind of paperwork. Or order around his subordinates. Or engage in sparring sessions to let off the accumulating frustration.

'At least I've been able to convince the servants to let me rest in one of the main rooms during the day. I'd rather not have a troupe of visitors in my personal chambers,' the noble thought, sighing inwardly when there was a knock on the door.

"My lord, there is a delegation from the Gozoro family." Byakuya's eyes narrowed in annoyance and he scowled briefly before his usual stoicism settled over his features.

"Very well. See them in."

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Rukia glanced around the garden she was situated in and let out the deep meditative breath she'd been holding. Her arm ached, and not being able to use it made her agitated and irritable. The emotions faded away when footsteps padded down the path and she smiled softly when a raven head of hair poked out to see her, blue eyes sparkling and a grin stretched across her intruder's face.

"There you are, Rukia! I've been looking for you," Kagome announced in a sing-song tone that normally got on the young noble's nerves. The recovering priestess had been her near constant companion, always checking in on her and her brother to make sure they were comfortable enough, despite her own extensive recovery and therapy to restore her to peak physical condition.

"Hello, Kagome. How are you feeling today?"

"Stronger every day. My powers are slowly coming back to me, but Lady Midoriko has told me not to mess with them right now because I could upset what little balance I have in my soul for now. But, once I'm fully recovered, I should be just fine," the former time traveler announced, the smile never leaving her face. Rukia nodded and stared off into space for a moment, considering the woman named Midoriko.

She was the creator of the Shikon no Tama. The woman whose soul had been trapped inside the jewel for hundreds of years. The woman whom Kagome had set free with her selfless wish. Getting to know the unflappable legend had taken a lot of effort, if only for the fact that she didn't really want to associate with anyone other than Kagome. Other than the fact that she was monitoring the younger woman's sprititual health closely and that she was a part of the infamous Zero Squad, Rukia knew next to nothing about Midoriko.

It made her uneasy.

Shaking off her thoughts, Rukia patted the ground next to her in an obvious invitation. Kagome flopped to the ground in a mass of silks and wavy hair with a sigh. Ever since she'd kissed her brother, and subsequently began courting him, Byakuya had begun showering the poor priestess with gifts. They ranged from expensive twelve layer kimonos to simple little hair accessories that he thought would look pretty. He'd even restocked her ribbon stash, if only to pull them from her hair when she wore them. Kagome had, at first, been shocked and more than a little embarrassed when she'd started receiving them, but now she'd begun taking each new present in stride, politely thanking the noble but insisting that he needn't do such a thing.

"I want to," He'd told her with all the superiority of a clan head before silencing Kagome's protests with a soft kiss that Rukia had turned away from, a blush on her cheeks. Who knew that her Nii-sama could be so sweet. The younger noble had taken to letting them visit on their own instead of accompanying the woman her brother was beginning to court. They deserved a little time alone, since everyone else would be bombarding them both once word got out.

"How about yourself? How's the arm?" Kagome asked, tracing her fingers through the grass.

"It still twinges when I move it. Apparently I severed the tendons. The medics said they would feel that way for a while after they reattached everything again. It's so boring to not be able to practice."

"I know what you mean. I've been itching to go for a run or swing my sword around, but everyone keeps treating me like I'm made of glass," the priestess sighed, blowing her bangs out of her face.

"When we are both recovered enough, we should spar together," Rukia suggested, receiving a delighted nod from her friend.

"What about Kurosaki? I heard he's still sleeping." The other girl's shoulders drooped and she nodded.

Since Ichigo had sacrificed his powers to save the world, which Kagome could understand all too painfully well, the human boy had collapsed into a deep sleep that he still hadn't awakened from.

"Yes, he's still unconscious. It's been a week already. I really hope he's not following your trend." Despite the snide remark, there was a genuine worry for the orange-haired boy that the noble held in her words. Kagome could read between the lines well enough. It was Rukia's way of saying she really was upset by the entire thing without actually saying it.

There was a deep affection for the boy.

"Me too. He seems nice."

There was a derisive snort from the younger Kuchiki noble, "He's a self-sacrificing idiot."

"But nice too."

"... I guess he has his moments," Rukia grudgingly replied. That caused a grin to flash across Kagome's face.

"We'll go visit him soon, okay?"

"Yeah, we probably should. In the mean time, when are you and my brother going to get married?" The teasing lilt had returned to Rukia's voice, a sly smirk on her face when Kagome flushed horribly red.

"M-M-Married?! It's too soon for something like that!" the priestess squeaked, waving her hands around her spastically. " B-B-Besides! Who says we'll even get to that point in our relationship?!"

"Oh, believe me, Nii-sama is very serious about you, Kagome," the noble countered, already imagining an adorable little girl calling her Auntie, "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he'll ask for your hand someday soon. Maybe before the cherry blossoms bloom again in spring, even."

Kagome choked, wondering how in the world they'd gotten on such a topic. Did Byakuya really care about her that much?

"I just..."

"Do you not care about him as much?"

"T-That's not it at all!" the priestess protested violently. "I do! I really do!"

"Then, what is stopping you from marching in there and dragging him out of that boring meeting he's in to his room to-!" the small noble demanded, her mouth gaping open when she was interrupted.

"The last guy I gave my heart to, he trampled on it!" Kagome snapped, her face becoming terribly red and clashing with the kimono she was wearing today. "It's not that I don't care, I'm just wary. What if it doesn't last..."

"Kagome. My brother hasn't been so affected by a woman since my sister was alive. He used to be cold, and so lonely that it ate away at me. You have made him feel more in the time he has known you than in the last near 50 years. Trust me when I say it will last."

The two girls were silent, staring each other down for several minutes before Kagome finally sighed and flopped onto her back. Flinging an arm over her face, she could feel the heat creeping into her cheeks at the very notion that her Captain would care about her enough to actually consider marriage to her.

"I'm... scared. I don't really know where to go from here."

She felt a hand touch her arm and she met Rukia's happy violet eyes. "Well, luckily for you, I'm here to help. So first, you need a plan. Something that's really going to catch his attention."

"So, what. A love confession isn't going to be enough?" the former time traveler whimpered, wide blue eyes staring up at the evil smile on the smaller shinigami's face.

"Nope. I'm going to make sure you do this right!"

'Oh, gods. I'm doomed.'

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Genryuusai Shigekuni-Yamamoto looked at the stump where his arm used to be and breathed a deep sigh. Such sacrifices had to be made to retain order in this world, however, and he would do it a thousand times over to ensure the safety of the Soul Society and its' people. He'd contemplated many things in his long lifetime. And he'd regretted just as much. To be in a position of power such as his was never as easy as everyone thought it should be.

A flare of spiritual pressure that he recognized all too well caught his attention outside his door and he heaved another sigh, this one a little more exasperated. Somehow, he knew he was going to get a visit from this particular former student.

"Enter!"

One of his most talented pupils entered the room, head held high and the cap on her powers uncorked to wash over him in waves of menace. Midoriko had come to the Soul Society already understanding the workings of the purification of souls. It had been incredible watching her progress as she made leaps and bounds that no normal shinigami was able to take. All too soon, she'd risen to Captain level alongside Retsu and then the Zero Squad had petitioned for her. Just as quickly as she'd come, Midoriko had left them, still eminating a mysterious aura and unshakable determination to protect.

"Head Captain Yamamoto. It has been some time," the former priestess bowed for politeness sake, but inwardly she was seething. This man; this arrogant headstrong man had nearly destroyed her Guardian. She plowed right in, never one to beat around the bush or mince words. "I am here to lodge a complaint."

"I am surprised that a guard of the Zero Squad would come to me for a complaint."

"Yes, well, it does concern you, after all," Midoriko countered angrily, her ki spiking with her emotions. They were spinning alarmingly out of control at the moment, and she knew that if she didn't tamp down and get herself back under wraps that she was going to end up going against Ryuujin Jakka shortly. "You nearly killed her!"

"Who may I ask-!"

"You know very damn well who!"

"... I see. So I can only assume that disturbance before Sosuke Aizen launched his attack truly involved Kagome Higurashi," the old Captain murmured, feeling even more his age now than ever. "I had hoped that the seal would pull enough of her power away that she would be allowed the chance of a normal life. When I received word that she joined the Academy, however..."

"You should have told her then. I cannot fathom how you managed to slip into the World of the Living to cross her over yourself while putting that seal on her, but if you ever attempt such a thing on her again, I will see you dead myself. You won't have to worry about her attracting Naraku or Magatsuhi's attentions again! I will pull rank and take her myself if I must!" the woman growled, her priestess energy jumping into the forefront to crackle around her ominously.

"I understand. Then you must show her how to contain and control her released powers. If Kagome Higurashi were to remain unchecked, those abilities will turn and purge everything in the Soul Society. Should she become so dangerous, she will be forcefully detained the same way Aizen was!" Yamamoto promised, striking his staff on the ground and glaring at Midoriko.

"Then I shall take full responsibility in retraining her. However," she continued when the Head Captain looked ready to interrupt, "It will not be within the confines of the

Soul Society. I will take her into isolation in the World of the Living."

"Absolutely not! Her powers are out of control now, as it is. They will have a negative affect on the souls in the World of the Living!" Yamamoto growled, shrugging his shoulders back and standing straight to prove his point.

Midoriko, despite being much smaller than the Head Captain, was not in the least intimidated, and allowed her spiritual pressure to lazily unravel. She could match energies with the old man if she had to. "Then the Precipice World."

"No!"

"You have left me with few options, Yamamoto. Either the Living World, away from humans, or the Precipice World, where time and space do not exist in the same capacity."

After running through the various scenarios that could happen in either space, the Head Captain finally relented. "The Precipice World, then. And you will return."

"When her training is completed."

"And that will take..."

"As long as it needs. I refuse to put a time constraint on her when her soul was so horribly damaged."

The two glared from across the hall at each other, but Midoriko knew, in the end, that her arguments would sway the stubborn old man to her favor.

"Think of it. A fully trained priestess within the ranks of the 13 Court Guard. You haven't had such a luxury since I accepted my position 300 years ago."

Finally, Yamamoto nodded. "Very well. You will send reports weekly on her progress." A moment later, and in a much softer voice, he admitted, "I never truly wished for the girl to suffer so."

The former priestess relaxed her stance and sighed, shaking her head slowly and giving her old sensei a wry grin. "You let your heart judge your actions this time. As warriors, we all know that we cannot afford to make such mistakes. It could destroy us all in the end."

Yamamoto shook his head and grumbled, "When did you become so wise, child?"

"I have always been so, Head Captain. Now, I must depart and find my new pupil."

"The necessary paperwork will be drawn up, Midoriko. You may be dismissed."

With a sharp bow, the former priestess spun on her heel and marched out the door, determined to find Kagome and get everything set for their journey before the stubborn man changed his mind.

'Or that noble decides to whisk her away.'

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A/N: See! I told you guys I hadn't abandoned this! It just sat on my computer half finished for a long time until I decided to get my act together. The sealer's identity is FINALLY revealed! Had that plot twist sitting for a long ass time!

A lot has changed since I last updated. My living situation and my life in general. The hubby and I are no longer together, and really, I started this story in dedication and affection for him. Now, though, I think I can finally continue properly. It might take me a couple of chapters to get back into things, but I'm still dead set on completing this, no matter what.

Anyways, thank you guys so much for all of the support, sweet words, encouragement, and mostly patience. Please continue to bear with me.